A Second Chance
by TheDevilsLotus
Summary: She thinks that he's going to slow her down, but could there be a bigger reason for her wanting to abandon him?


**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT CLAIM FINAL FANTASY XIII AS MY OWN! FINAL FANTASY XIII BELONGS TO SQUARE ENIX!**

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Well I could not resist trying my hand at writing a FFXIII fanfic after acquiring the game, so I apologize if any official characters seem a bit OOC! I thought of this scenario while playing the boss fight, and felt that there was a bigger reason for Lightning wanting to abandon Hope. So I wrote it down! I hope you all enjoy! Critique is always appreciated!

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><p>She couldn't keep traveling with him anymore. She didn't need to be delayed in her conquest to destroy the Sanctum. The final was him stumbling over a piece of metal clearly in his line of vision. Did he not see it in front of him?<p>

"This isn't working," said Lightning as she whirled to face the young, silver-haired boy laying on the ground.

Hope slowly rose from his position, a dumbstruck look on his face. All he could muster was a weak, "Huh?"

"I mean you're a liability," said Lightning clearly. She turned around to continue moving forth. "You'll just slow me down."

Hearing this, Hope quickly struggled to his feet. "What?" What did she mean? She wasn't going to abandon him was she?

"I'm sorry, but I can't protect you when- ug..." Pulsating pain erupted from the brand above her breasts. Her hands instinctively reached for the spot, her shortness of breath prominent. She gasped slightly as a pinkish-red aura appeared from the spot where the pain lay.

She couldn't watch over him anymore. It was that feeling that plagued her mind once Hope had joined up with her. A fear Lightning would never, ever admit. She was afraid that if he came underneath her care, she would lose him too. Just like how she lost Serah. It was better for them to go their separate ways - Lightning reasoned that Hope would be much better off with Sazh and Vanille.

However, it seemed the young boy thought differently. "You can't leave me here! You've got to take me with you!" he protested.

"Enough!" scowled Lightning. He wasn't going to _**DARE**_ insist he go with her, not while she was still standing. "The whole world is against us..." The pain in her chest was too much; Lightning sank to her knees but refused to collapse. "I can barely keep myself alive... let alone some helpless kid - Ah..." The pain pulsated throughout her body again, but Lightning refused to submit to it.

"I don't have time to baby you," she continued. "You want to get tough? Do it on your own!" Unimaginable pain coursed through her, cumulating in a strange glowing pattern around her body. Lightning lunged out of the way just as an armored figure - a knight it seemed to resemble - arose from it.

Hope studied the knight in awe while Lightning groaned, "This cannot be happening." _As if PSICOM wasn't enough..._ she thought to herself.

The knight approached Hope, causing the young boy to stumble onto the ground. It readied to strike him with its long blade.

Years of being trained as a soldier did well for Lightning; she bolted over to Hope, gasping, "Look out!"

Too frightened to move, Hope prepared for the worst, but when the killing blow was not delivered and a clash of swords was heard, he opened his eyes and was shocked. Lightning was defending him! The woman who wanted to leave him behind... now defending him!

A revelation hit Lightning that very second; Hope was Serah. He was a second chance to do what she failed to do with her sister. She thought she was doing the right thing by leaving him behind, but with the appearance of this figure it must've been not so.

She thrust her strength into her gunblade and threw back the Eidolon. Too distracted by the foe in front of her, Lightning did not notice Hope standing alongside her, casting magic spells while she lunged to attack with her gunblade. The Eidolon did not stagger - merely it raised its sword and swung it at the both of them. Lightning felt herself stumble, but Hope was on the ground struggling to get back up. He portrayed a helpless victim, and so the Eidolon turned to him.

In her haste Lightning cast several Cure spells at Hope, determined to keep him in the battle as long as she could. Hope repaid her by casting several more magic spells.

Finally the Eidolon was subdued and reverted to its gestalt mode - a white horse. They had tamed the Eidolon that Lightning now acquired. Panting, Lightning sunk onto her knees, thankful for the release from the pain that had engulfed her before.

Hope glided in front of her just as Lightning looked up to meet his eyes. This fight proved his worth to her for right there she decided to take him underneath her wing. _Maybe he's not a bad kid after all_... thought Lightning.


End file.
